Academics
At SYA, students don't just study a place—they learn through it.
We are leaders in place-based, experiential education while offering strong academics on par with top independent schools in America.
SYA high school students take six courses: four core courses and two elective courses. Students receive the instruction needed to join their peers upon their return without falling behind.
While students spend most of their school hours in classrooms, like they do back home, our experiential curriculum grounds their education in their new city. Assignments take students outside of the classroom, and weekly field study days challenge students to think creatively and critically about what they’re learning and make their studies come alive.
U.S. High School Educational Model With a Global Focus
- SYA is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
- Students keep up with their typical high school courses while also taking unique electives and language courses.
- All three SYA campuses are official test centers for the College Board. Students are able to take the PSAT, SAT and AP exams and receive testing accommodations (if applicable) while abroad.
- Each school has a College Counseling Liaison to support juniors and seniors through the college process.
- The SYA faculty includes both local and American teachers.
- Students take the Stamp test at the beginning and end of their time at SYA to measure their language proficiency growth.
Core Courses
Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
ELECTIVES AT SYA ARE WHERE LANGUAGE COME TO LIFE. FROM FRENCH CINEMA TO APPLIED AGROECOLOGY, SYA ELECTIVE CLASSES IMMERSE STUDENTS IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
For more information on elective courses at our three campuses, please visit country-specific elective pages:
SYA CAPSTONE
The Capstone is designed to provide students with an opportunity to showcase their evolving language skills through a comprehensive project. These projects are crafted to embody the SYA mission, highlighting the student’s experience relying on, and engaging with, relevant local resources.
Semester students also complete a final project that rounds out their experience abroad.
The SYA Capstone is the culmination of the experiential language course.
Recent SYA Capstone Projects
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Emily B., from SYA France, interviewed local female entrepreneurs in Brittany.
- Rogue S., from SYA France, learned about how children in Rennes are taught English in primary school.
- Piper J., from SYA Italy, composed an original song in Italian.
- Reagan H., from SYA Italy, learned about, and participated in, medieval flag waving.
- David H., from SYA Spain, built a cajón and performed traditional flamenco music.
- Lila G., from SYA Spain, researched about the disappearing language of Aragonese.
Across our three campuses, 80% of our faculty have advanced degrees.
Before attending SYA, I never thought I’d bike through a new city as a method of learning history, but this method of education through exploration is something that SYA has perfected." - Victoriah R. ES'25, Booker T. Washington High School